All Blacks overcome slow start to book place in World Cup quarterfinals

LYON – The All Blacks were far from perfect but they got the job done as New Zealand booked their place in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals with a 73-nil win over Uruguay on Thursday.

New Zealand fans in attendance at OL Stadium gradually fell silent during a frustrating opening quarter of the Test, with the All Blacks struggling against a valiant Uruguayan outfit.

The All Blacks made a series of careless mistakes as they continued to search for the opening try of the contest. Meanwhile, Uruguay risked breaking the game open a couple of times.

But New Zealand found their groove just before the 20-minute mark and didn’t look back. With Richie Mo’unga and Damian McKenzie spearheading the All Blacks’ attack, the favourites ran away with a decisive 73-point win in Lyon.

Playing in front of a packed crowd at the home of French football giant Olympique Lyonnais, the All Blacks and Uruguay met for the first time ever in a rugby union Test match.

Los Teros were playing for pride as the South American nation looked to end their World Cup on a high, while the All Blacks needed a winning bonus point to secure a spot in the next stage.

As the anticipation continued to build after the warmups, both teams emerged from their sheds and began to make their way up the tunnel at 8:52 pm. Record-breaker was the first player out on the field as the veteran became the first All Black to bring up 150 Tests.

Following the anthems and another stirring rendition of Kapa O Pango – led by Codie Taylor – the match was finally here.

Uruguay looked especially threatening during the opening five minutes. The underdogs played with most of the ball, and even made their way inside the All Blacks’ 22.

By the time the clock ticked past the five-minute mark, Los Teros had somewhat dominated with 63 per cent of territory and 70 per cent of possession.

But that’s when New Zealand found some form, or so everyone thought.

Halfback Cam Roigard and fullback Damian McKenzie both had tries disallowed, and Uruguayan flanker Manuel Ardao shared their pain with a missed opportunity of his own during the opening 15 minutes.

McKenzie eventually broke the deadlock after slicing through some tough Uruguay defence just before the 20-minute mark. The All Blacks rushed back to halfway as Mo’unga added the extras.

Minutes later, Los Teros flyhalf Felipe Etcheverry dropped the ball cold just five metres out from his own try line. New Zealand were awarded an attacking scrum and made the most of their opportunity.

The All Blacks ran an almost identical play to the pattern that saw McKenzie score, but instead, it was Mo’unga who crossed for New Zealand’s second try of the night.

Almost suddenly, the All Blacks were leading 14-nil after 25 minutes. Tries to Will Jordan and Cam Roigard saw the All Blacks almost double their advantage as they went into the half-time break with a commanding lead.

New Zealand were relentless after the break with prop Fletcher Newell crashing over for another score. Leicester Fainga’anuku added another five to the All Blacks’ commanding score shortly after with the wing reaping the rewards of a sublime Will Jordan cutout pass.

The onslaught continued just four minutes later with Damian McKenzie completing his brace. New Zealand were playing with a wealth of confidence as they called on the cavalry from the bench.

While the All Blacks’ slow start is certainly a talking point, the scoreboard doesn’t reflect any woes.

Leicester Fainga’anuku completed his hat-trick and late tries to Will Jordan and Tamaiti Williams saw the New Zealanders complete their rout in front of 57,5000 supporters in Lyon.